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Just a few blocks removed and out of sight of the Capital building and White House are poverty stricken neighborhoods, overrun by drug dealers, violence, unemployment, and homelessness. Few tourists will ever see this side of Washington D.C. although most have heard about their existence from media crime reports that present the irony and hopelessness of the situation—but now we can put faces to a few of the local citizens as well as see how they cope positively through David Petersen's revealing 2004 documentary Let the Church Say Amen. It follows Rev. Bobby Perkins and a handful of his congregation for two years as they strive to overcome their environment and achieve their dreams.
Petersen was previously nominated for an Academy Award for Fine Food, Fine Pastries, Open 6 to 9, but most of his independently produced films have screened at film festivals, museums, and on PBS. This film would be destined for the same fate; however, Film Movement has picked it up, granting the worthy film a wider audience through DVD distribution.
If you've ever been to a holiness (evangelical) African American church, you'll recognize the territory of Rev. Perkins' tiny storefront World Missions for Christ Church. The spontaneous Reverend poetically preaches, sings, dances with the best of them—and the congregation joins in, filled with the spirit. This is no staged James Brown rendition (a la Blues Brothers), nor is this manufactured for the camera--this is the real deal. Just a few minutes is enough to confirm the fact that this church forms the center of these people's lives, but casual viewers already know this and many films have captured honest portrayals. That isn't what makes Petersen's film stand out. It's the intimacy that he achieves, and natural flowing narratives that evolve and allow us into these people's lives.
Following Robert Drew's cinema direct principles, Petersen's objective camera allows virtually candid shots that captures the subjects on their home turf and avoids the dreadful talking heads style documentaries. These principles include:
1. No interviews—at most we hear an off screen filmmaker ask a conversation starter question to get one of the Ward brothers to do something besides gaze at his fields
2. Never ask anyone to do anything
3. Never ask someone to repeat a line
4. Never ask someone to repeat an action
Thus, Petersen becomes invisible during the filming process, and his major task in creating a viable narrative story consists of sorting and edting the two years' worth of raw footage, mixing a remarkable variety of shots and black and white footage with colored stock to great effect. Especially effective are the long shots of the Capital that both serve as transitions and as reminders of the close proximity of the Federal government that is either oblivious to the neighborhood's economic/social/cultural plight or powerless to to solve its problems.
Not so with this tiny church and its members. Whether or not you relate to their religious convictions, there can be no doubts about their sincerity and strength of character. Each of the main "characters" has overcome tremendous odds, and have set themselves firmly in the direction of achieving their dreams—all in keeping with the spirit behind the church itself. Originally founded by Dr. Rev. JoAnn Perkins, she gave over pastorship to her brother, realizing that his successful battle to overcome drug addiction through his faith in Jesus rendered him ideal for the position.
Three others that are certain to win your heart include: a former homeless man that now runs the church homeless shelter, who now dreams of owning his own home with a backyard and a tree so that he can again raise his children directly; a woman with a fifth grade reading level that is taking night classes to become a certified nurse; the church's main gospel singer who seeks justice for the gangland slaying of his oldest son and cuts a gospel CD with his 10 year old son on the drums.
Talking about these people becomes totally inadequate because their heartfelt honesty, determination, charisma, and hundreds of other positive human qualities are expertly captured on Petersen's unforgettable film. As the reverend says more than one time, he has no desire to be housed in a large cathedral because he only desires to be serving the Lord on his own turf in the street.
One of the most telling church scenes occurs when a collection is being taken—not for oblique purposes—both specifically for the needs of their aspiring nurse, who needs $200 to fix her car. That alone should be sufficient evidence to convince skeptical viewers that these people truly are travelling a spiritual route on a practical path. Thankfully, David Petersen has put in the necessary footwork that now allows us to put actual faces on an area that we often hear about but are unlikely to witness first hand. And that is enough to highly recommend this documentary.
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